Review

I think Shinji Mikami has a thing for chainsaws. After seeing Leon Kennedy die many times at the hands of a chainsaw wielding Ganado in Resident Evil 4 it came as no surprise to find Sebastian Castellanos, the protagonist of The Evil Within, succumbing to a similar fate in a far more gruesome fashion. In the first hour alone I was decapitated, impaled and even chainsawed while hiding in what I thought was the safety of a locker – all in glorious, claret-filled HD! If you thought Survival horror games had gone soft, think again.

With its over the shoulder viewpoint, zombies that aren't actually zombies and cinematic widescreen presentation, this is a game that can be viewed as a spiritual successor to the aforementioned Resident Evil 4. It also takes both “survival” and “horror” literally. Although there are guns in the game, for the most part the ammunition for them is incredibly limited. Sneaking around enemies without making a sound is, more often than not, the best course of action.

Most of the levels are spread out and have multiple routes across them, so when you die (horribly) you can attempt a completely different route. One section in particular brought back memories of the first village in Resi 4 as you climb ladders and leap through windows whilst trying to reach the goal. This was also my favourite section of the game.

Enemies can be dispatched silently by creeping up behind them and executing a single, well-timed attack. Should you get spotted you can take them on or make use of the sprint button to try and hide. One of my favourite things about the game is that a box of matches soon becomes your best friend. In addition to setting flammable objects alight to distract enemies, they are mostly used to finish off a downed foe. If you spot what looks like a dead body lying in your path, you should probably throw a match on it before it gets up!

Once you reach the third chapter, you should discover the Anarchy Crossbow which can fire a nice variety of bolts. These can be found lying around the world, sometimes stuck to walls, or crafted from items that you find. Killing a group of attackers at once with a single explosive bolt is incredibly satisfying. Learning how to do craft quickly is of paramount importance though, as the action doesn't actually stop when you enter the menu screen!

You may think that repeatedly comparing this to Resident Evil 4 is unfair, as that game is still arguably the best of its kind, but this is a game that goes out of its way to encourage it. When it's good, The Evil Within is almost worthy of such comparisons but it's let down by an uneven tone that allows cut-scenes to get laugh-out-loud funny in their preposterousness when they should be adding to the sense of dread you feel during play.

I did enjoy it far more than I expected to, although to be honest, “enjoy” is probably the wrong word.

About the Review

Platform

Microsoft Xbox One

Developer

Tango Gameworks

Publisher

Bethesda Softworks

Released

14th October 2014